Thanksgiving weekend is coming to an end. Many have felt the love of family, and I am one of them. Many live in solitude and don’t have any one to share this weekend with and that is not lost on me. I have said many prayers this weekend for those of you who are alone. Some have lost the people they love and are looking for a reason to go on. Some just need a smile, a laugh, a kind word. Hallmark coined it best, #CareEnough. If you have a neighbor who is alone stop by and say hello. Take a pie or casserole by and ask if they need anything. If you know you have a friend, family member of neighbor with memory loss, stop and visit and have a cup of hot chocolate with them. Take them for a drive to look at Christmas lights or take a stroll along a downtown area and take in the spirit of the season.
This is my favorite time of year. I decorate, and yes I still write out Christmas cards and send them out. But Finding My Christmas Spirit comes in many ways. I will start with singing Christmas carols on the first Sunday of December at a homeless shelter for women and children. It’s my 21st year of doing this. Two years ago I asked my husband to help me and he plays guitar while I sing. The Volunteers of America sponsors it. I have been a part of the VOA for more than twenty years as a past guild board member and a volunteer. This event is humbling for me. Each year I am reminded that there are people who will not have a tree, a present, or even a home by the time Christmas day arrives. Some of the people we can’t seem to cheer up, and some cry when we sing I’ll Be Home for Christmas. It leads me to saying more prayers.
I can’t save the world, but I wish I could. I try to give suggestions and strategies for living with dementia and do my little part. I sing songs.
The second part of Finding My Christmas Spirit will come when my husband and I again sing carols but this time on the 22nd of December for people with progressed Alzheimer’s, Lewy Body and Frontal Temporal Disease at a care community. Their families will be there and it will be very heartwarming. It always amazes us when they sing every word of every song and even dance. I am blessed. God has shown me what I am supposed to do and I hope I am doing my best by him.
Throughout the year I am on a mission to help people living with dementia and their families. At Christmas time, they teach me about love, life and the holiday season. Actually, they do that all year long. Thank you.
